Goals and Gifts
Spiritual Gifts
Through the Holy Spirit, the members of the body of Christ receive spiritual gifts for the building up of the church and the sharing of the gospel. The Bible identifies the power of the Holy Spirit working in the followers of Christ, uniquely qualifying them for special work. These gifts include but are not limited to faith, healing, prophecy, proclamation, teaching, administration, reconciliation, compassion, self-sacrificing service, and charity for the help and encouragement of people. God also calls and equips His followers to function as pastors/shepherds, teachers, and evangelists (Acts 6:1-7; Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-11, 27, 28; Eph. 4:8, 11-16; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10, 11).
Mercy
One of my spiritual gifts is showing mercy, or another translation is sympathy. I am keenly aware of the emotions and needs of the people around me and feel the burden to reach out to those who are struggling. I recognize when people around me are uncomfortable with a decision or in a particular atmosphere. I am quick to pick up on conflicts and underlying feelings between those around me and want to work to bring unity.
Administration
Another of my spiritual gifts is administration. God has laid on my heart a desire for the development of vision. He has gifted me when it comes to building of vision and a putting a plan in place to accomplish that vision. I am able to recognize the strengths of people I work with and help organize responsibilities to utilize those strengths. I actually enjoy board meetings and am able to communicate well with others.
Teaching/Shepherding
God has called me to the position of pastor, or shepherd as Ephesians 4 puts it. I have the Holy Spirit imparted desire and capacity to serve God in the church through overseeing, training, teaching, and caring for the needs of the body of Christ. It is important to me to teach the whole word of God and equip the church to grow in relationship with God and others. I am a peacemaker and diplomat, I remember people's faces and names, and I care deeply for the people whom God has sent me to serve.
Personality
Each person was created in the image of God as an individual. Truly there is no one else the same as me or you. Yet, there are traits that help us identify our strengths and weaknesses better. My personality type is identified as "The Advocate," or INFJ. While this test categorizes me as an introvert, I am more accurately an ambivert meaning I am right about in the middle between Extrovert and Introvert. I see helping others as a major purpose of my life. I tend to be soft spoken but have strong opinions, values, and sense of morality and I am dedicated to living my life based on these principles. I find great joy finding solutions that change peoples lives. If you want more information on this personality type you can find check that out here.
Areas of Growth and Ministry Goals
Through my experiences and education I continually discover that the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. I know there are areas in my personal, professional, and spiritual life which need growth. In my personal life, I would like to grow my capacity to communicate effectively. While communication is one of the strengths God has gifted me, I often find it more difficult to communicate effectively with people who are different from me. Not only that, but communicating through a conflict is an area I see an opportunity to grow in. I also want grow in physical strength and endurance. One of my personal goals for the future is to participate in a triathlon. I have a long way to go and that is why it is an area of growth. Professionally, I want to grow in my boldness in sharing the gospel. I also recognize my need to continue my education in how to effectively manage a church and cultivate an atmosphere that is both efficient and loving. Spiritually, I want to broaden my understanding of the character of God through deepening my relationship with God in prayer and in study of His Word. I Pray that I can develop into a mature Christian who communicates with God as a friend.
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In Ministry, I look forward to gaining experience that will strengthen my gifts and develop wisdom that comes from God. Specifically, I have a passion for relational church growth. One of my goals is to strengthen the bonds of community within the church built on a Biblical foundation of love toward each other. This is one of the most important commands that God gave. Secondly, I want to develop in the area of evangelism with the community I am a part of. Thirdly, it is my goal to develop my study and scholarship so that I can contribute to the sharing of the gospel through writing. Lastly, I want to develop a creative ministry which utilizes music and social media to reach more people for Jesus.
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